By VPJ Reporter Thom A. Turkee
In the divisive landscape that is American politics, let us step away from it this time of year and take a look at food! Food is a great common denominator among Americans. We really do love to eat!!
We are so good at eating that even when we try to lose weight and eat foods that are better for us, marketeers are making substitutions for your cravings look better all the time. They may not be better for you, but they sure look tasty! We all like our burgers, sandwiches and casseroles a little differently, but there are some things we can find common ground on when it comes to American classic foods. There is one food, however, that can easily break apart an extended family…THE TURKEY!!
Yes! The turkey is the most divisive bird in America. Take a quick poll and ask six friends how they like their turkey prepared. Two of them don’t like turkey, two of them could care less about it (meh), and the other two will differ on how to best prepare it! Does anyone really go gaga over turkey?
Think of the possibilities: roasted, fried, smoked, injected. To Brine or Not to Brine…that is a question for some, although I wonder if Hamlet ate turkey. Will you cook it whole, cut up, quartered, or will you go exotic and spatchcock it? Just don’t forget to season the bird! We have all heard the bland talk at the table!
Your mom and grandma most likely just roasted their birds. All manner of treatments have popped up in the last 25 year as we search for the perfect turkey. Now roasting is an art unto itself, mind you; to cover, to baste, to show patience, and to achieve the ultimate bird. Might as well go tilt at a windmill with DonQ.
Here in the Old South we are fond of deep frying that bad boy after injecting it with goodness. TASTY, and it makes for a good video clip when they try to fry it while still frozen!
We really don’t have a consensus on a favorite cooking method, do we? Turkey cookers will either try a new-fangled way or gadget to find turkey nirvana. Smart cooks stick with something tried and true. JUST DON’T SCREW IT UP!!!! That is a heavy burden to lug around the kitchen.
My favorite turkey cooking tale happened years ago in Mountain Home, Arkansas. We were dining, by chance, with a urologist and his wife, a friend of a friend. The hostess was cooking a 25-pound-or-more turkey and was a little flummoxed at how long it took to cook a bird that big! We just raided the doctor’s wine cellar ‘til dinner. When we sat down about 10:15 p.m. for dinner…well, it was pretty good turkey…so was that wine cellar!!
By now you are starting on your repast for the BIG DAY. Smile, do your baste…er best, toast the turkey gods, and hope for the baste…er best. Can you tell how I like to cook it? Enjoy the moments with family and friends and be thankful for all blessings, large or small.
PLEASE, don’t burn the bird AND let’s not even talk about side dishes or desserts!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2023 FROM VERNON PARISH JOURNAL STAFF, Rick and Mary Lou.